AfCFTA start of trading

The Agreement Establishing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), a flagship project of the African Union’s Agenda 2063, officially entered into force on 30 May 2019.

Start of trading under the Agreement commenced on 1 January 2021, in line with a Decision and Declaration adopted at the 13th Extraordinary Session of the AU Assembly on the AfCFTA on 5 December 2020.

Take a look at our AfCFTA resources page for more info.

Resources portal

tralac maintains a collection of regional and national trade-related resources, including copies of the texts and annexes of regional trade agreements from the east and southern Africa RECs, the AfCFTA, TFTA and African Union, as well as regional protocols and policy documents.

tralac Publications

tralac promotes active debate on trade law and policy issues in Africa. This involves monitoring trade negotiations, interpretation of agreements, contribution to debates and discussions on trade developments. Our research is presented in trade briefs, working papers and books, among others.

tralac Newsletter

tralac’s final newsletter for 2020 offers a reflection on some of the key trade and trade-related developments in Africa during an extraordinary year overshadowed by the impact and responses to COVID-19. We also reflect on some lessons we have learned along the way.